Difference between revisions of "EditingWesnoth"

Latest revision as of 17:06, 21 May 2023

In order to create custom content for Wesnoth, you need to know where the game's resources are and where to put your own. This page will explain how to find both the data (core game resources) and userdata (custom content) directories, as well as an explanation as to working with each one.

The main menu

The simplest way to find your game and userdata directories is to launch the game and click on the "i" icon on the bottom left corner of the main menu, which will display the Game Version dialog with information about the game paths and build configuration. From here you can copy respective the paths to your clipboard or open them in your platform's file manager. If you want more detailed explanations on the specific locations for your specific system, you can read the How to get there sections below.

The game data directory

Wherever you installed the game, you will find these folders, among others: data, music, sounds, images. The rest are unimportant unless you're a developer looking to tweak stuff about the game itself. Besides data, they contain resources used by the game, not by campaigns.

Inside the data folder you will find , among others, these folders: campaigns, multiplayer, core. These contain the mainline campaigns, the multiplayer maps and scenarios, and all the resources used in add-ons. You may examine the contents of the former for reference on how the campaigns and maps included in mainline are coded. In core, you will find another set of music, sounds, images directories. Look in here to find resources for creating your UMC content.

NOTE: These folders are NOT the place to put your own resources when creating an add-on. You should keep them in your add-on's folder the userdata directory, as detailed below.

In this wiki, the terms "game data", wesnoth/data, or ./data refer to the wesnoth/data directory. The terms "core folder" or core refer to the wesnoth/data/core directory.

How to get there

Windows

C:\Users\<USER>\AppData\Local\Programs\Battle for Wesnoth <VERSION>\data

Note: C refers to the partition or drive where Windows is installed. If your copy of Windows is not on C, or Wesnoth is installed in a different location, the path may not match those given above. If you don't remember where you installed the game, right click on the game's shortcut, open Properties, and click on the "Find target" button.

macOS

Control+click on the application icon. Select "Show Package Contents", then navigate to "Contents" → "Resources".

Linux

Custom builds: /usr/local/share/wesnoth
Debian/Ubuntu packages, or emerge (Gentoo): /usr/share/games/wesnoth
Red Hat Linux-based distributions in general (openSUSE, Fedora): /usr/share/wesnoth
Arch Linux: /usr/share/wesnoth
Mandriva: /usr/share/games/wesnoth
Slackware Linux: /usr/local/share/wesnoth

In a terminal, the command wesnoth --path shows the game data directory.

BSD

OpenBSD package: /usr/local/share/wesnoth

The command wesnoth --path also works.

The user data directory

The user data directory in particular is the most important to a content creator. Inside are your preferences file, custom maps, saved games, the WML cache and data files corresponding to user-created content. In this wiki, "user data" and userdata/ refer to this directory.

The game looks at the following paths for the respective content:

userdata/data/add-ons - add-ons you have installed via the built-in add-on manager or are designing yourself
userdata/editor - scenario and map files created via the in-game editor
userdata/saves - the directory containing all your savegame files
userdata/cache - the auto-generated game cache files
userdata/preferences - plaintext file containing all your saved user preferences

Note: This may not be totally accurate for all systems, for my Linux system the preferences file is stored in ~/.config/wesnoth

The add-ons directory is particularly useful. In order to work with custom scenarios or campaigns, you will need to have your own add-on set up here. Instructions on how to do so can be found in AddonStructure. Several pages on this wiki will assume you have done so and refer to relative paths in such.

How to get there

Windows

Documents\My Games\Wesnoth<version>

macOS

Wesnoth 1.14.6 and later: ~/Library/Containers/org.wesnoth.Wesnoth/Data/Library/Application Support/Wesnoth_<version>
Older versions: ~/Library/Application Support/Wesnoth_<version>

Note: The Library folder is hidden by default. You can press the Option key and choose Go to access it, or choose Go > Go to Folder… and type in the path there.

Linux

~/.local/share/wesnoth/<version>
If installed via flatpak: ~/.var/app/org.wesnoth.Wesnoth/data/wesnoth/<version>

In a terminal, the command wesnoth --config-path shows the user data directory.

BSD

Same place as Linux.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{Translations}}
 <!-- single enters on this page are intentional -->
-== Game and User Directories ==
+In order to create custom content for Wesnoth, you need to know where the game's resources are and where to put your own. This page will explain how to find both the <b>data</b> (core game resources) and <b>userdata</b> (custom content) directories, as well as an explanation as to working with each one.
-Wherever you install the game, there will be a game data directory that contains, of course, the game's data.  This directory should have the following subdirectories: data, music, sounds, and images.  There are several others, but these are the important ones.  In this wiki, the terms "game data", wesnoth/data,  or ./data refers to the wesnoth/data directory.  You normally do not need to modify these files, but you can if you want to modify a unit or something.
+<div class="thumb tright"><div>
+[http://www.wesnoth.org/images/sshots/wesnoth-1.14.0-1.jpg http://www.wesnoth.org/images/sshots/wesnoth-1.14.0-1-192.jpg]
+<div class="thumbcaption">The main menu</div></div>
+</div>
-The user data directory allows you to add custom content without modifying the game's own files.  Each OS puts its user data directory in a different place.  In this wiki, "user data", ''userdata''/''subdirectory'', or (occasionally) ~wesnoth/ refer to this directory.
+The simplest way to find your game and userdata directories is to launch the game and click on the "i" icon on the bottom left corner of the main menu, which will display the Game Version dialog with information about the game paths and build configuration. From here you can copy respective the paths to your clipboard or open them in your platform's file manager. If you want more detailed explanations on the specific locations for your specific system, you can read the <i>How to get there</i> sections below.
-=== Where is my '''game''' data directory? ===
+== The game data directory ==
-====Windows====
+Wherever you installed the game, you will find these folders, among others: <b>data, music, sounds, images</b>. The rest are unimportant unless you're a developer looking to tweak stuff about the game itself. Besides <b>data</b>, they contain resources used by the game, not by campaigns.
-Usually C:\Program Files\Wesnoth\data but it will be different if you installed the game in a different location: look for the data folder in the folder where you installed the game.
-====Mac OS X====
+Inside the <i>data</i> folder you will find , among others, these folders: <b>campaigns, multiplayer, core</b>. These contain the mainline campaigns, the multiplayer maps and scenarios, and all the resources used in add-ons. You may examine the contents of the former for reference on how the campaigns and maps included in mainline are coded. In <b>core</b>, you will find another set of <b>music, sounds, images</b> directories. Look in here to find resources for creating your UMC content.
-Downloaded from sourceforge: command-click on the application icon.  Select "Show Package Contents."  Select "Contents" then "Resources." <br>
-Command line build: /usr/local/share/wesnoth
-====Linux====
+<b>NOTE: These folders are NOT the place to put your own resources when creating an add-on. You should keep them in your add-on's folder the userdata directory, as detailed below.</b>
-/usr/local/share/wesnoth <br>
-From apt-get (Debian) or emerge (Gentoo): /usr/share/games/wesnoth <br>
-/usr/share/games/wesnoth <br>
-From apt-get (Ubuntu)
-other distributions?
-=== Where is my '''user''' data directory? ===
+In this wiki, the terms <i>"game data"</i>, <i>wesnoth/data</i>,  or <i>./data</i> refer to the wesnoth/data directory. The terms <i>"core folder"</i> or <i>core</i> refer to the wesnoth/data/core directory.
-====Windows====
+=== How to get there ===
-c:\Program Files\Wesnoth\userdata
-====Mac OS X====
+==== Windows====
-Downloaded from sourceforge: ~/Library/Preferences/Wesnoth <br>
-Command line build: ~/.wesnoth
-====Linux====
+C:\Users\<USER>\AppData\Local\Programs\Battle for Wesnoth <VERSION>\data
-~/.wesnoth
-== Game data ==
+<b>Note:</b> C refers to the partition or drive where Windows is installed. If your copy of Windows is not on C, or Wesnoth is installed in a different location, the path may not match those given above. If you don't remember where you installed the game, right click on the game's shortcut, open Properties, and click on the <b>"Find target"</b> button.
-The major directories you need to know about are wesnoth/data, wesnoth/data/units, wesnoth/data/campaigns, wesnoth/data/maps, wesnoth/data/scenarios, wesnoth/images
+==== macOS ====
-Become familiar with what is in ./data/campaigns, ./data/scenarios, and ./data/maps.  These have the officially distributed campaigns and multiplayer maps.  If you ever want to examine or edit one of the scenario configuration files, this is where you would go.  For example, a common question is how a new player can give himself more turns or gold in scenario X.  This is where you would go to do that.
+* Control+click on the application icon.  Select <b>"Show Package Contents"</b>, then navigate to  <b>"Contents"</b> → <b>"Resources"</b>.
-Two very important directories are ./data/units and ./images.  You have the ability to drop new units or images in these directories and have the game recognize them.  When specifying an image for something, you do so relative to ./images.
+==== Linux ====
-=== Game Configuration ===
+* <b>Custom builds:</b> /usr/local/share/wesnoth
+* <b>Debian/Ubuntu packages, or emerge (Gentoo)</b>: /usr/share/games/wesnoth
+* <b>Red Hat Linux-based distributions in general (openSUSE, Fedora):</b> /usr/share/wesnoth
+* <b>Arch Linux:</b> /usr/share/wesnoth
+* <b>Mandriva:</b> /usr/share/games/wesnoth
+* <b>Slackware Linux:</b> /usr/local/share/wesnoth
-Some information is stored in files in the ./data directory itself:
+In a terminal, the command <code>wesnoth --path</code> shows the game data directory.
-* amla.cfg - global definition for After Max-Level Advancement (currently 3 hp per 100 XP)
-* fonts.cfg - defines which fonts the game can use
-* game.cfg
-* help.cfg - the entire help system document
-* items.cfg - macros for common objects and items used in the game, also available for campaign writer use
-* multiplayer.cfg - defines the multiplayer eras and factions
-* names.cfg - lists of name fragments that are randomly put together to create random-sounding names.  Segregated by race and gender
-* scenario-test.cfg - a simple test scenario.  Run it with the command wesnoth -t
-* schedules.cfg - defines the global day-night cycle
-* terrain.cfg - defines the terrain types
-* terrain-graphics.cfg - defines terrain layering and usage of random terrain
-* tips.cfg - the contents of the Tome of Wesnoth
-* traits.cfg - defines all traits used globally in the game
-* utils.cfg - some common macros used in the game, also available for campaign writer use
-* units.cfg - defines the races, which traits each race has, and the movement types (which set defenses, resistances, and movement costs)
-For more information about game configuration:
+====BSD====
-* themes/: [[ThemeSystem]]
-* maps/: [[BuildingMaps]]
-* scenarios/: [[BuildingScenarios]]
-* translations/: [[WesnothTranslations]]
-* units/: [[BuildingUnits]]
-* game.cfg: [[WesnothGameConfigure]]
-== User Data ==
+* <b>OpenBSD package:</b> /usr/local/share/wesnoth
-The user data directory can do a lot of things.  The game looks here for several things:
-* ''userdata''/data/campaigns - campaign configuration files and subdirectories
-* ''userdata''/data/editor/maps - multiplayer standalone maps (map data only)
-* ''userdata''/data/units - drop your custom units here, and they will be visible to the game
-* ''userdata''/data/images - drop your custom images here, and they will be visible to the game
-The ''userdata''/data/campaigns directory is particularly useful.  A single configuration file here can selectively point to an entire subdirectory tree of units, images, sounds, scenarios, and macros.  This allows you to wall off parts.  Content included in the userdata units or images directories will be available globally whether you want it or not.  Content included in the campaigns directory won't be loaded unless the game is told to do it.
+The command <code>wesnoth --path</code> also works.
-For example, assume you have a campaign called MyCampaign.  This is what the ''userdata''/data/campaigns directory looks like:
+== The user data directory ==
-* ''userdata''/data/campaigns/MyCampaign.cfg - a text file
-* ''userdata''/data/campaigns/MyCampaign/ - a subdirectory
-** ''userdata''/data/campaigns/MyCampaign/scenarios
-** ''userdata''/data/campaigns/MyCampaign/units
-** ''userdata''/data/campaigns/MyCampaign/images
-** ''userdata''/data/campaigns/MyCampaign/music
-** ''userdata''/data/campaigns/MyCampaign/sounds
-** ''userdata''/data/campaigns/MyCampaign/utils
-MyCampaign.cfg will have something called the "campaign ifdef", which is a syntax structure that instructs the game to search ''userdata''/data/campaigns/MyCampaign/ for data.  More about this is found in [[BuildingCampaigns]].  However, it is important to understand the different capabilites of the user data directory.
+The user data directory in particular is the most important to a content creator. Inside are your preferences file, custom maps, saved games, the WML cache and data files corresponding to user-created content. In this wiki, <i>"user data"</i> and <i>userdata/</i> refer to this directory.
+The game looks at the following paths for the respective content:
+* <b><i>userdata</i>/data/add-ons</b> - add-ons you have installed via the built-in add-on manager or are designing yourself
+* <b><i>userdata</i>/editor</b> - scenario and map files created via the in-game editor
+* <b><i>userdata</i>/saves</b> - the directory containing all your savegame files
+* <b><i>userdata</i>/cache</b> - the auto-generated game cache files
+* <b><i>userdata</i>/preferences</b> - plaintext file containing all your saved user preferences
+''Note: This may not be totally accurate for all systems, for my Linux system the preferences file is stored in ~/.config/wesnoth''
+The add-ons directory is particularly useful. <b>In order to work with custom scenarios or campaigns, you <i>will need</i> to have your own add-on set up here.</b> Instructions on how to do so can be found in [[AddonStructure]]. Several pages on this wiki will assume you have done so and refer to relative paths in such.
+=== How to get there ===
+==== Windows ====
+* Documents\My Games\Wesnoth<version>
+==== macOS ====
+* <b>Wesnoth 1.14.6 and later:</b> ~/Library/Containers/org.wesnoth.Wesnoth/Data/Library/Application Support/Wesnoth_<version>
+* <b>Older versions:</b> ~/Library/Application Support/Wesnoth_<version>
+<!-- gotta keep mentioning the old path until 1.16.0 since not all macOS users update every stable release -->
+<b>Note:</b> The Library folder is hidden by default. You can press the Option key and choose Go to access it, or choose Go > Go to Folder… and type in the path there.
+==== Linux ====
+* ~/.local/share/wesnoth/<version>
+* <b>If installed via flatpak:</b> ~/.var/app/org.wesnoth.Wesnoth/data/wesnoth/<version>
+In a terminal, the command <code>wesnoth --config-path</code> shows the user data directory.
+==== BSD ====
+* Same place as Linux.
 == See Also ==
 * [[Create]]
+[[Category:Create]]